This March twenty first Darkish Horse publishes Chad Corrie’s subsequent novel within the Tralodroen universe:The Shadow Regent. A standalone story that introduces readers to new places together with a couple of acquainted faces, we took a second to speak with Chad about simply what readers—each new and previous—can anticipate from the story.
To start, why don’t we get into simply what The Shadow Regent is about. And if it ties into anything you’ve written to date?
Nicely, The Shadow Regent is a standalone novel that explores one other a part of Tralodren and the way it’s affected by the aftermath of the Wizard King Trilogy. That stated, the concept was to have the story be arrange the place you didn’t need to know what occurred beforehand, permitting you to take pleasure in this story by itself. I attempted to verify new readers didn’t miss out on something and older readers, who’ve learn the sequence, had some sense of connection and reward for any earlier information.
One other method this story is completely different is that it offers with the gods and their realms, delving into the lore, historical past, and different elements of simply how issues function within the higher cosmos after which how that has been altered or challenged by current occasions.
How did you come in regards to the story to start with? Was it a part of the planning in what you have been writing for The Wizard King Trilogy?
The story, in some ways, got here as an outworking of some notes and concepts as I completed up Wizard King and was what got here subsequent within the sequence of tales on my “to do checklist”. The extra I fleshed out different initiatives the extra I spotted what may very well be executed with this specific story.
At first it was extra private in nature, one thing akin to a personal historical past or sequence of notes and sections of textual content that will serve to tell me on different issues. However quickly sufficient it grew and grew till I spotted I wanted to begin writing it down and ending it up as a novel.
And that is your first standalone work within the Tralodren story universe. What was it like solely having to work on one novel as an alternative of a sequence? And did you end up liking it over the longer sequence work?
In some methods writing a standalone story could be difficult as a result of you need to get your complete story into one novel. You possibly can’t unfold it out or try to depart too many free threads to drag for future plot strains in upcoming installments. So you need to have a barely tighter story on one hand however on the opposite it may be relatively liberating as you don’t need to concern your self an excessive amount of with retaining some legs on the story for the subsequent quantity. In that sense you may simply write till the story is completed and that’s it. While you’re executed, the story is just too. And that was a refreshing expertise.
Moreover being your first standalone story it’s additionally the primary novel based mostly in Tralodren and not using a map. Was it more durable writing one thing that had such a bigger scope of actual property to cowl and not using a useful information on your journey?
Probably not. As I beforehand talked about, I wasn’t actually flying blind as I’ve notes and my very own private maps and issues that I take advantage of for guides and self reference when writing. So there won’t be a map for the readers to see—a minimum of not but—however I used to be simply high quality as I wrote.
As you stated, The Shadow Regent offers with an excessive amount of issues exterior the world of Tralodren. And when you talked about you’ve guides and notes, how a lot of that actuality do you’ve found out? And was it arduous making an attempt to remain throughout the strains of issues already established in your different works?
Yeah, The Shadow Regent actually steps exterior the planet of Tralodren to some extent. However Tralodren can be a cosmology—an entire story universe, if you’ll—which I’ve been engaged on for a while. So entering into it wasn’t as daunting because it may very well be. And since I additionally had notes on what has been occurring or can be occurring in varied planes and realms throughout this time, it made it simpler to leap into issues in that a part of the cosmos.
As to making an attempt to remain within the strains, as I discussed, I’ve these notes to assist preserve me on job and a tough concept of the place issues have been going in addition to what simply transpired within the earlier sequence to function the inspiration for what got here subsequent. So it wasn’t as arduous because it may have been however was enjoyable getting to color with a bigger brush in a higher a part of the cosmos.
This novel can be distinctive in that it contains an appendices. Was this one thing you have been initially planning for the title or did it come about extra organically?
It’s one thing I’ve had within the again my thoughts for some time—even for the reason that begin of the Wizard King Trilogy. I’ve all the time favored the concept of getting one thing further in a ebook that not solely builds into extra of the story however fleshes out extra of the world wherein it takes place. And since we’ve stepped right into a wider a part of the sandbox with this story I assumed it acceptable to lastly add some extra materials to the ebook.
The problem was in limiting what I shared as I had loads to select from however solely a lot room obtainable wherein to share it. So it turned extra an train in in search of the necessities and from there seeing what match. The added bonus is just not solely will what’s shared profit the readers of The Shadow Regent but in addition assist develop the world and story of the Wizard King Trilogy in varied methods too, making a win-win state of affairs for all concerned.
Thanks, Chad!
Search for The Shadow Regent this March twenty first in ebook shops and comics outlets—in addition to on-line. And be at liberty to study extra in regards to the story and Chad’s different forthcoming works by following him at: chadcorrie.com and by way of social media: @creatorchad.
